<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>drift here with me by taiyakeo</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23891704">drift here with me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/taiyakeo/pseuds/taiyakeo'>taiyakeo</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Ensemble Stars! (Video Game)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, also the sushi/like joke is like, and kanata's just like .. haha water, cause.. suki sounds like.. sushi, haha sea am i right, i like the idea of them just being together, i love them very much, if you slur it..., im incoherent by this point i just love them too much, it's so lame but i mean, just a small little fluff fic, kaokana is very very very extremely good, kaoru focusing too much on things</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-04-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 16:13:42</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,116</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23891704</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/taiyakeo/pseuds/taiyakeo</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Kaoru wants to loosen the chains keeping him from being happy. Perhaps Kanata is the answer.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hakaze Kaoru/Shinkai Kanata</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>34</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>drift here with me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Before Kaoru had seen Kanata's name written, he'd assumed the kanji for it meant "beyond" or "far off". That meaning suited him, Kaoru thought--the slow, steady manner with which he spoke, as though he was at once hyper-focused on getting the words out and yet also thinking of a dozen things at the same time; the way he would run off without a care in the world for what he was supposed to be doing and sit in the middle of the fountain, the slightest of contented smiles quirking at his lips; the glazed, distracted look in his eyes. There, but not there. "Beyond", like he'd transcended all human reasoning--but of course Kanata didn't think normally. Regular people didn't chug soya sauce like it was Pepsi. (Kaoru was still scarred by some of the things he'd seen regarding soya sauce and Kanata.)</p><p>    He'd only joined the Marine Biology club because he thought he wouldn't have to do anything, plus saying he was in the club would make girls think he cared about the environment and he must be such a sweet guy despite looking so cool (girls liked gaps, right?)--but no, they'd only said he smelt like fish after being in the clubroom too long. Something had made him stay, something that wasn't Souma or even the fish (even if he <i>had</i> become just a little fond of them), something--</p><p>    Kanata. </p><p>    More specifically Kanata drowning; how terrible would it sound if he left the club and one day while he wasn't there Kanata fell asleep in one of the tanks? Then everybody would think Kanata had drowned himself out of grief, and Kanata would be too dead to tell everyone it was an accident. No girl ever wanted to date a murderer. No <i>sane</i> girl, anyway, and he liked a girl who had her wits about her, thank you very much. </p><p>    And, on the subject of Kanata, what kind of person sat in the fountain all day? Didn't his socks feel icky? It was irritating, and yet he found himself envying Kanata, somehow, in little moments. He wasn't sure why or how, but he wanted some of that "far-off" feeling for himself. Detached. Carefree. </p><p>*</p><p>Water danced across the skirts of the umbrella, tapping out a beat on plastic.</p><p>"Kaoru-kun?" Kanata said. </p><p>"Mn? What?" </p><p>"The sky's so 'grey' today. It 'looks' like the colouring of a 'white sturgeon'." </p><p>"What? Wait, you just said grey." Kaoru frowned. "Isn't a white sturgeon, y'know, white? Wouldn't it be a grey sturgeon if it was grey?" </p><p>"Silly Kaoru-kun. It's just what they 'call' it."</p><p>"No, but if it's grey--" </p><p>Kanata hummed, and Kaoru knew that it was over. There was no arguing with him. </p><p>"The 'flowers' are very pretty when it is raining." </p><p>Kaoru took a moment to comprehend the topic change. </p><p>"Yes," he said, trying not to think about how it was the sort of thing a girl might talk about on a date. But it wasn't a date, because they were just going to the train station. Suddenly he wished that Souma was there, if only so he wouldn't have had to be alone with a guy. He had never been to the train station with anybody before, and he was--nervous wasn't the word, but he felt like squirming. "I guess they are." </p><p>He glanced at the bushes lining the sidewalk, watching the rain as it battered them. They just looked like clumps of plants to him.</p><p>"You don't 'sound' very 'convinced', Kaoru-kun."</p><p>He didn't sound upset or accusatory, so Kaoru didn't bother with a reply. </p><p>He found himself surprised when Kanata didn't push for one, and he liked it. </p><p>There was nothing but the sound of the rain, and for a moment he thought maybe the flowers <i>were</i> a little bit pretty if he focused enough on them. </p><p>*</p><p>    It was slow, the way it snuck up on him. He became more and more accustomed to walking to the train station with Kanata, and subsequently he became more accustomed to thinking about Kanata, and talking to him, and being happy with him. </p><p>    He didn't dislike it as much as he should have, and he wasn't bothered about that.</p><p>    The sun was high in the sky, searing into their skin, as they left the clubroom. Souma was still in there with the turtle with the absurd name, Kame… Kami? Kamo… He didn't know and didn't care enough to think more about it, so--hey, he was still thinking about it. </p><p>    "What's that turtle's name again? The one Souma takes care of?" He turned to Kanata, too curious to hold back his question anymore. </p><p>    "'Kamegoro'? He is the only 'turtle' we have, Kaoru-kun." </p><p>    <i>That's the bitch.</i></p><p>    Of course Souma would have come up with such an odd name. </p><p>    "Why are you 'asking', Kaoru-kun? I thought you did not 'care' for the creatures?" Kanata's eyes were sparkling in a way he--liked? Didn't like? He couldn't tell, with the emotions tangling in his chest like raffia. </p><p>    "I do care for the creatures," he said, slowly, so he wouldn't mess up. "I just… Didn't… Care about the club before? Much? Not much?" He paused. "I do now," he tacked on, hurriedly. "I care now, Kanata-kun, I really do." </p><p>    Kanata stared at him, then burst into laughter, brushing with too much ease at the back of Kaoru's hand. "Kaoru-kun is too 'funny' now. You are always 'careful' with your words now. I 'like' this new Kaoru-kun." </p><p>    New? He had changed a little, he supposed. </p><p>    Wait, <i>like?</i></p><p>    "You like me?" He asked, brain short-circuiting. "Like?"</p><p>    "You are 'slurring' your words, Kaoru-kun." Kanata's eyes glinted again. "I don't <i>sushi</i> you."</p><p>    "S--" He stumbled on the word. "Like. Like, you like--" </p><p>    "Does Kaoru-kun have 'problems' understanding? You are 'saying' it so many times." Kanata laughed.</p><p>    Maybe he was overthinking it. </p><p>    "It is too 'hot'," he said, suddenly. "Perhaps I will go and 'soak'." </p><p>    He tugged Kaoru by his tie (of all things, though he was grateful it wasn't his hand, because it would have been too much) to the fountain and dove right in. </p><p>    "Kaoru-kun is 'right', though. I do like Kaoru-kun."</p><p>    "In what way?" He leaned forward, finding himself anxious in a way he couldn't explain. </p><p>    "Hmm…" </p><p>    Kanata reached for him and pulled him into the water. He lay flat on his back, winded--</p><p>    "In whatever 'way' Kaoru-kun 'chooses' to interpret it." </p><p>    He reached out to ruffle Kaoru's hair. </p><p>    "I like you, too," he said, and found that it wasn't a lie. </p><p>    Kanata hummed and smiled. </p><p>    So this was carefree, he thought, letting himself go limp. His socks were wet, but the feather-light, pleasant ache in his chest mattered more than that.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>